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In which our heroine wonders who owns the world

In a past post I mentioned the tendency I have noticed for tourists to purchase lots of objects for every place they visit. It seems very counterintuitive in some ways -- that money could be going to a delicious dinner, for Pete's sake! or a ticket to a local dance performance! or cocktail hour! Really, how many people desperately NEED a "Praha Drinking Team" sweatshirt or a "Hakuna Matata" door sign? In short, no one.

Then again, maybe it makes perfect sense to want to buy things -- to bring physical proof home with us of a visit we have made. I admit, my apartment is filled with paintings and dishes I have picked up, and there is a certain pride when items come with a good story. But our heroine believes that the best way to bring stories home is to actually have a story that goes with them. NOT possible in a gift shop -- developed entirely for foreigners, and almost always at two to three times what those items cost at a local store.

1 comment
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I totally agree - although I collect cheesy shotglasses or magnets from tourist shops, in general I prefer to remember my trips off photographs, or sometimes by purchasing something authentically of a place (like my necklace from Syria). It means so much more that way.